At the global conference of CSCMP (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals), held September 21-24 in San Antonio, Texas, six sessions on diversity and inclusion, coordinated and powered by AWESOME, raised the interest in women’s supply chain leadership to a new level.
More than 20 top women in the field participated in panel discussions that revealed the depth and breadth of their professional experience, the importance of roles they have held at their companies, insights about their own career paths, and their commitment to leadership development.
Debbie Lentz, SVP and Chief Supply Chain Officer for Toys R Us, an AWESOME Advisor and chair of this year’s CSCMP conference was instrumental in supporting the track on Diversity and Inclusion. The six sessions of the track were coordinated by Jennifer Nix, Director, Strategic Partnerships, DSC Logistics, and President of the CSCMP Chicago Roundtable. Other AWESOME leaders, including Ann Drake, CEO of DSC Logistics and Founder of AWESOME and Dr. Nancy Nix, AWESOME’s new Executive Director, and members of the AWESOME network, served as moderators and panelists.
The sessions offered not just observations and examples about how women can develop their own leadership skills and advance their careers, but also focused on topics such as leading a balanced and diverse team. The sessions were well attended by a diverse mix of men and women representing a broad range of industries and roles.
AWESOME also hosted a networking reception on the evening before the sessions began, where senior women supply chain leaders had the opportunity to connect with each other and meet the five AWESOME scholarship winners attending the conference.
The 2014 conference was opened with remarks by Heather Sheehan, Vice President, Indirect Sourcing and Logistics, Danaher Corporation and an AWESOME Advisor. Heather is the 2013-14 Chair of the Board of CSCMP.